Contributed
Henderson Councilman Jim Seebock
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Clark County issues
Jim Seebock has seen Henderson change rapidly since he moved to the city as a child in the 1980s.
The Metro Police assistant sheriff will now help oversee the city’s continued evolution as the newest member of the Henderson City Council.
Seebock recently won the Ward 1 seat in Henderson’s first-ever special council election and will be sworn in today. He succeeds former Councilwoman Michelle Romero, who was elected mayor last year.
"The community is second to none, and I think we’re still just getting started," Seebock said. "I still think the city is going to continue to excel in its quality of life, the safety aspect, what we provide for the community and how we serve them. I just look forward to being a part of that and can’t wait to get started."
The Sun sat down with Seebock to discuss how he’s seen Henderson grow since the 1980s, his priorities heading into office and what he envisions for the city.
What inspired you to run for the Ward 1 City Council seat?
I have a love for serving and public safety, and there’s a lot of roles that come into play from a team aspect for public safety. You need effective first responders, you definitely need community input and interaction and the third part of that is you need involved and wise governance.
What I’ve learned throughout my 30-year career at Metro is the role government plays in helping with public safety — keeping our community safe — through the ordinances that are put in, through the zoning that’s established and the relationships that are grown to address issues.
So, as I was nearing the end of my policing career, I wanted to continue to serve and still affect public safety, especially in the community in which I live, and that’s what drove me to make this decision.
As someone who has lived in Henderson since you were in junior high school, how does it feel to have won this council position?
I’m honored and I’m humbled that the community and the voters supported me. I’ve also seen the city grow. Being here since 1986, I’ve lived in all parts of Henderson, but the fun part about all of this is I’ve seen where the city came from — its roots and its core values.
To see it grow and now to be able to play a part in making sure those core values are adhered to and continue to be leveraged, grown and to make it communitywide, it’s just phenomenal.
How have you seen Henderson develop since you first moved here?
The city has had great leadership in place to grow it in the direction that it’s been. The masterplan communities, the diversity of businesses and the infrastructure to support that has made a tremendous difference in its growth.
So as that continues to go in that direction, it’s important that we look — "we" meaning City Council and city leadership — at the continued growth and the nuances associated with that and we continue to make the appropriate decisions … to keep the city vibrant, safe and prosperous.
What are some of your top priorities?
I have roughly four priorities in respect to my role at the City Council.
The first one is public safety, making sure the first-responder community has the tools and resources they need to keep our city safe for people to live, work and visit here.
The second is to work with the county and within the city of Henderson more to address the homelessness issues that are occurring in all parts of Henderson — from an outreach perspective, as well as giving the police the tools they need to address it.
The third would be growth and redevelopment … evaluating projects, knowing there are concerns with water but also making sure areas such as the east side of Henderson are not overlooked.
And that we look at redevelopment opportunities — such as what you see going on at Water Street — to make sure that continues in parts of Henderson such as Boulder Highway and Major (Avenue) or Sunset (Road) and Green Valley Parkway.
The final thing would be rural neighborhood preservation. On the east side of Henderson, there are several neighborhoods that have a rural lifestyle way of living, so (making) sure that those areas are also protected and respected.
Why did those areas stick out to you?
First, with the public safety aspect, I believe the city needs more officers. Las Vegas, for example, has two officers for every 1,000 residents. Henderson is like at 1.1 or 1.2.
From a public safety aspect, it’s not good to play catch up. It’s not good to play from behind. We need to make sure Henderson is on par with other large cities.
We’re the second-largest city in the state, and it needs to have the proper police protection and fire resources to do the job.
I focused on the homelessness because it’s growing. Nobody has it solved, but I believe there are some proactive steps that the city could take to start making a dent in that.
I’m not looking for perfection, but I’m looking for progress. There are examples around the country of good programs to address homelessness, such as in San Antonio, where they got together with private sector, nonprofits, government and they essentially built a campus that offered basically dorm-style housing. At that facility, they had all your services. … So to start working toward that.
What I’d like to do is to work with some of the nonprofits whose mission is to help those homeless (people), that way it comes with a more overarching plan to work together to serve those needs.
Another outreach need I think the city could do with homelessness is engage the homeless people who have been arrested while they’re in custody and engage them with services there so that way they don’t just walk out the back door and start all over again.
With the redevelopment, (making) sure we’re creating opportunities to grow. How are we going to try to grow … to make sure your city is doing things equally?
I think those are some achievable goals, and I also believe those are great needs.
Do you have any plans for ordinances or other initiatives that align with your concerns?
First and foremost, my job is to work as a team. It’s not just me; it’s my fellow council members and the mayor as well as the city staff.
I think the public is tired of hearing government fights and infighting. To me, I want to be able to work with every council member and with the community.
I want to make myself accessible. That’s why I’ve always given up my phone number.
For me, the early things we need to do are be able to work as a team, assess the team environment, see what role I can play to assist and contribute, and then make sure we’re hearing from the community. And the community includes the business partners, your nonprofits, your faith based groups as well.
You are an assistant sheriff with Metro. How do you plan on balancing that role with your responsibilities as a city councilman?
For now, I intend to do both jobs. But if I cannot do both at 100% — the level I expect, the level my bosses expect and the level this community expects — then I would step away from Metro.
Council is considered a part-time position, but it’s full-time engagement. Once I get sworn in, I’ll start to really see what that calendar looks like, what the demands look like, and I’ll be able to make a more informed decision here in the coming weeks.
You have voiced support for breaking up the Clark County School District. Is that still something you’re interested in?
Well, I think the education of our kids is a communitywide issue, and it’s still a priority of mine. I still agree with my position that I think the School District is too big. It’s been a disservice to our kids.
I have two kids that have grown up in the School District, and I grew up in the School District, and I just don’t see the improvements over the course of these years that I believe should be there.
Do you have a message for your constituents ahead of your swearing in ceremony?
I’m here to represent everybody, even those who didn’t vote for me. I’m here to do my best and to serve our community, like I have for the last 30 years in Southern Nevada, and working at Las Vegas Metro. I’m going to represent all of Henderson.
The biggest thing I would want to convey to people is, I’m not here to create issues or be divisive. I’m here to work with the other city and county leaders, and more importantly, with the community to be their advocate.
My job is to serve them — that’s the role of government — and to hear from the people and to make sure their voices are heard.
Those closer to the problem have the best solutions (and) input. So that’s why it’s important for me to continue to listen to the community.
